Paired With Neutrality
by Angelwarrior1
Summary: In wandering on one lonely night,Eiri finds something not of this world.Something surreal.Something that will change him...forever.AU Fantasy Eiri/Shuichi
1. Prologue

**Paired With Neutrality**

**By: Angelwarrior1**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation.**

**Prologue**

Love is an odd thing. Some are extraordinarily lucky to find it, while others are not quite so lucky. Sometimes when two people find one another there is no other option than to fall in love. Call it fate or destiny if you will, but certain paths just have to cross in order to move forward.

If someone is thrown onto your path, will you ignore it? If there is someone for you to love, will you ignore that person? Or will you grab on and make sure your path is entwined with said person? It's a tough choice, especially if you have no idea that you're supposed to be watching out for this love to cross your path.

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After a night of sitting and staring at a blank screen, Uesugi Eiri, otherwise known as Yuki Eiri, decided some fresh air would do him good. He walked for well over half an hour until he reached a wooded area. Figuring that he had walked long enough, he began to turn when he caught a glint of light out of the corner of his eye.

Now Eiri was not a nosy or overly curious person, but the glint was so unexpected and quick that even he had to wonder over its origins. So he did something that usually only the stupid people from horror films do, he ventured into the woods. Stumbling about in the dark, he began to feel like an idiot.

'What the hell am I thinking? Wandering about at three in the morning! Real smart move Eiri. If you're lucky the police may just not find your corpse, then no one will know about the humiliating cause of death.'

He was turning to leave once more when he caught it again. That damnable glint that seemed to be mocking him.

"Damn it. When I find the cause of that damn glint…" Muttering harshly to himself, he turned back and kept going farther into the forest to find the source of the infernal glint.

Coming to a clearing, Eiri stared in stunned silence. He'd found the source that was for sure, but what the source was exactly he couldn't be certain of. It almost looked like a statue inside of crystal, but there was no way that could be the case. Who would leave such a marvel out here?

It truly was magnificent. Inside the crystal appeared to be a person. A very lifelike person, but there was no way that could be real. The person inside was too beautiful, too much like something out of a fantasy book. There was also the whole getting trapped inside of crystal thing supporting his theory that what he was seeing was indeed a statue.

He wondered what the crystal felt like. Was it warm like the night air or cool like a summer's breeze? He walked up to the ethereal being trapped inside the clear stone and looked over the person in their entirety. It was impossible for him to tell if the person was male or female, but it really didn't matter. The face was one any could fall for.

Bringing up his hand slowly, he placed it over the spot that would have been the person's cheek, had the crystal not been there. The crystal, surprisingly was not hot or cold but in between the two. The spot where his hand had been placed seemed to be warming to his touch, so he let go.

He decided to leave, feeling as if he were disturbing the serene being who appeared to be asleep. Walking away, he didn't turn to look back until he was out of the woods. He didn't catch anymore odd glints out of the corner of his eye for the rest of the night.

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So, should I bother continuing with this story or not? I have a bunch of stories to finish, but I really wanted to write a Gravitation story. I have most of the first chapter written, so all I really need at this point is some feedback on whether it's any good or not.

Recommended Song- Is There Anybody Out There?-Pink Floyd


	2. A Beauty,But of What Kind?

**Paired With Neutrality**

**By: Angelwarrior1**

**Chapter 1: A Beauty, But of What Kind?**

There was a sound of cracking all around me. It was the first thing I remember. Then I felt myself fall to the hard floor, and sharp pain ran throw my limbs. I felt heavy, my blood cold. Every nerve in my body started to tingle and felt as if it were on fire.

Perhaps I truly was aflame, that would explain all the pain. My thought process was slow, every thought came one at a time instead of all at once. What happened? Where am I? How did I get here? All these questions didn't come immediately, but after. Then I finally opened my eyes for the first time in who knows how long.

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He opened his eyes, he had one of the most peaceful nights rest after returning home. It was odd really. He's always been a notorious insomniac, but one trip to the woods where a strange statue sits and he sleeps for more than four hours. If that wasn't a miracle then he didn't know what was.

Rising from his bed, Eiri headed for the bathroom and showered. He had a meeting with his editor at one that afternoon and it was already twelve. Walking through his home, he grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone and finally made it out of the apartment.

His meeting was uneventful, nothing out of the ordinary. Before heading home, he remembered his shortage of beer and turned the car around to go to the store. You know how when you're hungry and you go to the grocery store, you want to eat everything you see inside? Well that's what happened to Eiri.

Now normally his meetings with his editor entailed food. Whether it was morning, afternoon or evening meetings, there was always food involved. His meeting that afternoon however had been brief, only fifteen minutes top, so now here he was with a growling stomach in a store with delicious emanating smells all around him.

Let's just say he ended up buying a lot. So, with his many bags of groceries in both hands, Eiri ventured to his car. Pink caught his eye and he was reminded of the previous night for a moment. Then he was really reminded of the previous night when he saw the source of pink.

He froze, stunned into silence. Someone walking behind him bumped into his shoulder while walking around him. Eiri didn't seem to notice. All he could see was the person from the crystal statue. Except now said person wasn't trapped inside any crystal now.

No this person was free, but it all seemed so impossible to his mind to even comprehend that the person he was staring at was leaving his vision. Only when he couldn't see pink any longer did he panic.

"Shit."

He began to cross the street in his panicking haze and was almost hit by a car. The horn from the car woke him from his daze and he regained his composure. Walking faster to cross the street he began looking about him on the side walk for any pink, but there was none.

"This is ridiculous. I bet it was just some punk with dyed hair."

Only it didn't feel that way to him. Something was telling him that the person he just saw was the same one from the crystal.

'That's it. I've been writing way too much fantasy and it's finally gotten to me. I'll just head to the woods tonight and look at a crystal slab of stone with a statue inside.'

Eiri crossed the street back to his car and drove home. He tried to write to pass the time, but his mind just could not seem to dive into that realm where all of his stories laid. So he went and watched television for a while and ate some of the food he'd bought earlier. When he looked at the clock and saw that it was only eight at night, he decided that was late enough and drove to the woods.

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It was the same as he remembered from the night before. He didn't know why, but for some reason he expected things to look a little different. Maybe slightly more ominous or something, but figured that was just his imagination running away with him again.

With a flashlight in hand, he walked in the general direction that he had walked in the night previous. He felt lost as he seemed to walk on and on with nothing in sight. He'd give anything for that infuriating glint to blind his damn eyes at this point, if only to act as a beacon.

Maybe, the glint liked annoying him, but he was never more glad when he caught a glint of light once again. Speeding up his walking pace, he made his way to where he saw the light. When he found his glint source this time however, he almost wished he'd just gotten lost in the woods.

Crystal was shattered everywhere on the ground. Only the base of the crystal stone remained… with a hole in the place where the statue should be sitting.

"Well, it's official. Time to start seeing my psychiatrist again."

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I've never felt more lost before. I have no idea where I am and I am truly grateful for the fact that I had clothes on when I awakened. The people around me keep staring at me and it makes me very uncomfortable.

Where am I supposed to go now? There has to be some mistake, why else would I be here? Was this how it always happened? I am confused and alone, with no one to trust and help me. This has to be wrong.

My train of thought is halted when I'm suddenly grabbed from behind. I'm so scared I can't even scream.

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Eiri pulled his car over at his apartment and got out. He needed another walk, they seemed to be the only thing keeping him sane these days. He would walk for twenty minutes or so.

The streets were quiet, just as he liked it. He normally wouldn't walk the streets at night, but since there were plenty of streetlights on, he figured he'd be alright just this once. As he was walking toward an alleyway, something flew out from around the corner and smashed into his chest.

In his startled surprise he looked down, only to see the face that has haunted him since the previous night. It truly was the person from the crystal and said person had the most gorgeous pair of amethyst eyes he'd ever seen. The eyes looked up in fear at him, then back towards the ally where several men came out from.

"Huh, guess you didn't get very far did you little bitch?" One man states as he takes a step forward.

Eiri only quirks an eyebrow at the men as the small pink beauty in front of him slides around him to stand behind him. He found it interesting how he wasn't bothered by having this person standing behind him. He usually didn't appreciate anyone being behind him where he couldn't see them.

"Are you sure that's a chick Ryu? Looks kinda boyish ta me." Another man questioned behind the leader.

"Does it matter? We only want one thing from that beauty anyways."

For some reason this pissed Eiri off and made him feel a strange protectiveness over the tiny person behind his back.

"Leave my girlfriend alone." Eiri stepped closer to the three males and made sure he was covering the person behind him from view.

"Girlfriend huh? Well I hate ta break it to ya pretty boy, but we're borrowing her for a little while. If you're lucky there might something of her left to get home." The leader barked out a harsh laugh at his own sentence.

If there was one thing Eiri hated, it was being called pretty boy. Now it was personal. He was kicking this bastard's ass first, then he'd beat the shit out of the other two morons with him.

"Let me make one thing clear. Do not mess with my girlfriend and especially don't mess with me!" Eiri growled out as he slammed his right fist into the leader's face.

The others rushed him, but he was expecting this and ducked. He swung his fist into one's stomach while dodging a fist to his face. He then slammed his knee into the other's stomach.

The three being preoccupied with their pain, he grabbed the small hand of the pink haired person who had been very quiet through it all and ran. He felt undignified about fleeing, but since it wasn't just himself he had to worry about, he figured it was the best choice.

Once sure they weren't being followed he stopped under a streetlight and leaned on the wall while he caught his breath. The other was holding a hand to their chest and breathing hard.

"You alright?" He studied the smaller person before him.

"Yes, thank you for helping me." The person finally answered after having caught their breath.

"It was no trouble miss…or is it mister…. I'm sorry but what gender are you exactly? It's very hard to tell." Eiri wanted to kick himself for having to ask that question.

He should have already figured it out, but it really was quite impossible to tell just by looking at this person. Such an androgynous face and figure.

"Oh no, it is alright. I am not one or the other on their own but both at once. I am what my family refers to as intersexual."

"I see so you won't mind if I refer to you as male or female?"

"Of course not. I refer to myself as both because I am. It does not matter which you label me as."

"Well then miss and mister, I'm Uesugi Eiri. You are?" He looks down at the small intersexual being and almost smiles at her.

He'd decided to refer to this delicate little creature as a she, because she's far too feminine in appearance and mannerisms to refer to as male. Perhaps he'll switch later if she starts acting more masculine around him.

"Shuichi Shindou. Thank you once again for your help." She gives a small smile to Eiri.

"Shindou sounds like a last name, why did you say your first name first and your last name last?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that was your custom. I assumed Uesugi was your first name." She gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth .

"No need for apologies. I take it you're not from Japan though since you don't know the proper way to introduce yourself. Eiri is my first name and Uesugi is my last." He offered, he could see how lost she felt by her expression.

"Oh! I understand now. Thank you-" She was cut off by the small flute sounding noise that came from the pale purple tear drop on her necklace.

"Oh my! I have to go now." Shuichi turned to leave, but Eiri grabbed her elbow lightly, to show her he meant no harm by the gesture.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Somewhere very important. Thank you again for helping me, but I must go now." She smiled and took her arm back slowly to show that she was not frightened by his gesture.

"Fine. Be very careful." He turned and started walking away.

Shuichi watched him leave with a sad expression on her face then turned and went on her way as well. She headed to the woods to find the crystal she came out of. Apparently there was something inside of it she neglected to retrieve when she awoken.

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Like hell he was letting someone as beautiful as she walk around in the middle of the night and in the woods no less. He turned back immediately and watched from around a corner as she left. He then began to trail her.

"Figured she was heading to the woods. Where else is there for her to go?"

He finally found her kneeling down rooting around inside the crystal in search of something. He decided to simply watch for now.

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Shuichi looked around until she found a very small, almost undetectable, fragment of stone that matched the stone of the tear drop on her necklace. She glanced down at her necklace and saw that a piece of the tear drop was indeed missing, so she place the fragment in the empty spot.

The necklace immediately melded itself together and glowed purple. Out popped a tiny flying creature, flute-like in appearance. It zipped about her then stopped in front of her face. Shuichi smiled a true smile at the creature, exposing her pearly whites.

"Playpen! You're here to help me? I thought it would be a random cranela helping to give me advice and messages!"

The very tiny creature, that's about the size of your average fairy, began expelling flute-like sounds from its mouth. One watching would have to assume that's its speech. Shuichi seemed to be following just fine.

"Playpen are you sure I have been sent to the right place?"

Playpen began speaking in its odd way once more and Shuichi didn't seem pleased with what she heard.

"This can not be right Playpen! These creatures are so aggressive! I surely would have been slain tonight if it were not for a kindly male citizen who happened upon the situation! Then where would not only I, but you be? I would be dead and you my friend would be trapped inside a fragmented stone, that's where we would be." Shuichi took a deep breath at the end of her tirade and calmed down into the picture of serenity.

The crenela spoke to Shuichi in soothing flute tones and this time Shuichi remained calm.

"Are you absolutely certain that we have not been thrown off course somewhere along the way?"

Again it spoke.

"So I must search the planet for what I seek…Fine. If you are done with your message Playpen, I think it is time for you to get some rest."

More speech.

"Of course, I will rest as well my friend." She rubbed at her eyes lazily.

The tiny crenela began to glow once more and reverted back to a glowing orb that drifted slowly back into the necklace. Shuichi yawned and tried to think of what she should do about a place to sleep.

She decided the ground would have to do for the night until she could find more permanent sleeping arrangements in the morrow. She sat down against a tree and laid down, curling up to keep warm. She closed her eyes and was about to drift off to sleep when-

"Are you really going to sleep on the ground?" Her eyes snapped open at that and she shot up into a sitting position to look at the person who intruded upon her rest.

It was the male from earlier, Eiri Uesugi, she believed he introduced himself as.

Why was he here though?

"I followed you to make sure nothing happened to you. You stand out too much and that's never a good thing here. You don't have anywhere to go do you?" Eiri approached slowly to show he truly meant no harm towards her.

Shuichi simply shook her head, watching warily as though he were a cobra waiting to strike.

"Then you may stay with me if you like. I have a spare guest room in my home that's available."

Shuichi didn't really know what to think of this offer. Should she accept and stay with the only being who sought to help her on this planet? What if it was a trick? No, it wasn't. She could see the sincerity in him.

"I accept your kind offer." Shuichi smiled at Eiri and stood to follow him.

"Thank you for helping me once again."

"It's no problem." Eiri offered a half smile to her and turned to lead Shuichi to his apartment.

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Gotta say you people are so lucky. My laptop died and I thought all the story updates I had been working on had been lost. Luckily I have all of my information still, so thanks Compaq dudes!

Recommended Song- Hey You- Pink Floyd


	3. Learning

**-IMPORTANT NOTE- Tatsuha and Mika are not related to Eiri in this story. Eiri is an only child. In fact, many of the manga/anime's characters will not be showing up in this story. The New York incident didn't happen either for obvious reasons. Eiri never met Tohma! If you see anything that's totally wrong in canon verse, please go just go with it. Thank You, now you may read on.**

**Paired With Neutrality**

**By: Angelwarrior1**

**Chapter 2: Learning**

Shuichi looked around in awe at Eiri's apartment. It was certainly big. Though the man did appear to be well off, Shuichi really hadn't known what to expect.

"You have a very nice home." She gave a small smile to him.

"Thank you. Let me show you around." Eiri began walking around the apartment, giving a very brief explanation for each room.

Finally he came to the room that Shuichi would be staying in.

"This is where you'll be staying. It's not very large, but…" Eiri suddenly felt awkward.

Shuichi seemed to sense this and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It is more than adequate. Thank you Eiri." She gave his shoulder a small squeeze and walked into the room.

She turned and gave a him a truly happy smile in thanks, then closed the door to get some much needed rest. Eiri just stood there in a daze for a moment before he smiled the tiniest of smiles, which was basically the breakthrough of the century for him.

He went to his room, forgoing the hygienic care for the night and collapsed onto his bed. He was asleep within several minutes.

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She awoke to a sweet smell wafting through her room. Opening her eyes, Shuichi sat up and surveyed her surroundings. She left the warmth of the bed and wandered into the living room, from there she could see the tall man she now lived with.

His back was facing her, so she couldn't see what he was doing. She approached him from behind and looked around his left side to see what he was up to. It appeared he was creating something of sustenance for himself. It smelled quite nice, her stomach growled after that contemplation.

"What is that delicious smelling concoction you are creating? It smells absolutely wonderful." Shuichi smiled up at Eiri, who jumped in surprise at Shuichi's stealthy arrival.

"Oh Shuichi, good morning. Sleep well?" Eiri turned back to his food and continued on as if he hadn't been surprised just a moment ago.

"Yes, I slept very well thank you. What on Zila are you creating? It smells like nothing I have ever encountered before." Shuichi looked down at the pan that Eiri was cooking with.

"They're called pancakes Shuichi. Zila?"

"Zila is the name of my home planet. What are those...pancakes for?"

"They're.. for eating."

"Eating?" Shuichi was more confused now than she was earlier.

Eiri almost started laughing at the face Shuichi was making. She was too adorable with that look on her face. He put the finished concoction on the plate and placed them on the round table in the kitchen.

After getting drinks for them both he sat down and motioned for Shuichi to do the same. He took a plate and put a pancake on it, then added butter and syrup. He prepared a couple for himself and then slid Shuichi's plate across the table to her.

"You eat a pancake like this." Eiri demonstrated by cutting a small square of pancake and placing it into his mouth, chewing slowly.

Shuichi watched in awe. She'd never seen such a thing.

"Oh! You eat to retain sustenance! How remarkable!" Shuichi's eyes lit up at her discovery.

"Well yes. Your kind doesn't eat?! How do you survive?" Eiri gaped at Shuichi's remark.

"Oh, well we drink whatever vitamins, proteins, or anything else we may need. We never waste time with preparation and manually ingesting what we need into our body. The special drinks we prepare fill us up automatically upon drinking them. We simply drink it and continue on with our daily tasks. I have never eaten anything before in my entire existence." Shuichi continued staring at Eiri as he continued eating.

"Sounds boring." Eiri didn't look up as he cut the remainder of his pancake into pieces.

"It is!" Shuichi laughed at Eiri's honest remark.

"Well? Aren't you going to try things the Earthling way? You might find you like ingesting things manually." Eiri said with sarcasm in his voice.

Shuichi didn't seem to pick up on said sarcasm and simply smiled at Eiri.

"Of course! How rude of me." Shuichi picked up her knife and fork and looked at them with a small bit of confusion on how to use them.

Remembering what she had seen Eiri do to eat his pancakes, she mimicked him as best she could. Slowly placing the square she had cut into her mouth, she made her mouth chew for the first time ever.

She looked a bit awkward chewing, but seeing her face light up with obvious joy made Eiri forget all about the funny way she was moving her mouth.

"These are-They're wonderful!" She quickly began to devour them in haste.

Eiri watched in awe as she quickly finished her pancake and pulled the plate with the other pancakes on it to her. It vaguely crossed his mind to warn her about eating more slowly and something about choking on her food, but his brain was too hazed from watching the tiny creature before him eat like no one he'd ever seen before.

"Mm! That was incredible! Are there anymore of those… pancakes? Is that what you referred to them as? Well, whatever you call them I love them." Shuichi looked up at the still staring Eiri.

Eiri's mouth closed with a small audible snap and he composed himself.

"You ate them all. And yes they are called pancakes. I guess I don't have to worry about my cooking skills if an alien finds them so enjoyable."

"No you most certainly-AHHH!!" Shuichi began but let out a rather loud scream, even though it was small for her, at the loud shrill sound that began to fill the room.

"Calm down! It's just the telephone." Eiri got up and answered it.

He usually ignored the phone for the most part when it rang, not caring to be bothered by who ever it could be on the other end. However, due to his frightened new house guest, he decided to put her at ease by showing her that it was nothing to be afraid of.

"What?!" He answered rudely.

"Ah, hello to you as well Eiri-san. How are you today?"

"It was turning out to be a good day until you called. Now what the hell are you calling for?" Eiri snarled, he had no desire to speak to his editor at the moment.

"Now Eiri-san, no need to be rude. I was simply calling to see how you've been fairing on the next chapter. It has been a while since our last conversation."

"Not long enough apparently. I'm busy right now, so don't bother me anymore." He slammed the phone back into the receiver and pulled out a cigarette to sooth his annoyed nerves.

Remembering his guest, he inwardly cringed at his behavior and wondered how the delicate form behind him would take his aggressive nature. Turning, he looked at her to gauge her reaction. He was surprised to see no fear on her face at all, simply curiosity.

"What is that contraption you were just speaking into?" Shuichi looked at the phone with the same curious stare she had fixed the pancakes with.

She approached the telephone and pick it up. She placed it to her ear and listened to the dial tone in fascination. She looked at the buttons and began to push the buttons when a hand snatched the phone and hung it back into its receiver. Whirling around she found Eiri looking at her in annoyance.

"Stop that. I don't need you calling some random person and bothering them."

Shuichi looked down in shame, all joy gone from her face. Eiri felt like an ass immediately upon seeing Shuichi's crest fallen face. He took the phone and placed it gently back into the curious person's hand. Shuichi looked up with a question written on her face.

"Here, you can see the phone. Just don't press these buttons here. When you press seven numbers it dials a person's home. I don't want you disturbing anyone. So don't press any of these buttons at all okay?"

Shuichi nodded and looked at the receiver in curiosity as well.

"What does this button do?"

"It resets the numbers you've dialed in case you make a mistake. Pressing that won't do any harm, just don't press the others."

Shuichi nodded again and once more pressed the phone against her ear. Listening to the

sound of the dial tone, a smile slowly spread across her face as she looked at the receiver and then pressed the reset button a couple of times.

Eiri watched her as she enjoyed something as simple as a telephone. He liked her smile, he wanted to see it more. Developing an idea, he waited for Shuichi to hang up the phone and took out his cell phone.

He dialed the number to his house phone and almost laughed when Shuichi jumped in surprise at the ringing phone. He hid the phone behind his back when Shuichi turned to look at him for aid of what to do.

"Answer the phone Shuichi." He pulled the phone back up to his ear when Shuichi turned and picked the phone up hesitantly.

She placed it slowly to her ear and jumped when she heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello Shuichi." Shuichi turned when she not only heard the voice on the other end, but behind her as well.

A huge room brightening smile developed on her face when she found Eiri with what appeared to be a portable phone placed to his ear.

"Eiri! Ahahaha!" Shuichi laughed when she found that Eiri had called from about six feet behind her.

Eiri smiled a half smiled at her overjoyed face. He REALLY liked her smile now.

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After their little phone chat, Eiri showed her some of the other items around the house and answered all of Shuichi's questions about them to the best of his ability. He'd never met someone as curious as Shuichi though!

She constantly had questions about almost everything around her. With anyone else he would have become annoyed by now and told the person to piss off, but it was Shuichi asking the questions.

He found he couldn't turn her away, much to his chagrin. He was dazzled by her more and more. He wanted to see that smile on her face always.

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After the first two days of Shuichi living with Eiri, he realized that he had to do something about her clothes situation. Not to mention the hygiene one as well. It wasn't that Shuichi stunk necessarily, but she'd gone with out bathing for two days now.

Enough was enough. So even though he was actually nervous about this task at hand, he took a deep calming breath and approached Shuichi.

"Shuichi."

"Yes, Eiri?" Shuichi hopped around immediately upon hearing her name and gave Eiri her usual dazzling smile.

Seeing it just made him nervous again. He cleared his throat and looked away for a moment to recompose himself.

"Shuichi, in my society it is customary to bath everyday. It is also customary to change your clothes every time you bath, as well as when you awaken each morning and once more when you go to bed."

"Why?" Shuichi gave him her usual confused face that she gave whenever something puzzled her.

"It's just how we do things here. It's been two days since you've bathed or changed clothes Shuichi. I don't know how you do the whole hygiene thing on your planet, but here we do it our own way. So follow me and I'll show you how to take a shower and bath. I'll put some clean clothes in the bathroom for you to change into. When you're all finished we will be going out and purchasing you a wardrobe of you own. You can't keep wearing my clothes."

"Why not?"

"Because those clothes are meant for me. You need clothes for a female-er well… You appear more female than male so I just assumed it'd be best…" Eiri gave a small blush at his error, luckily Shuichi couldn't see it.

"I understand what you are trying to say Eiri. It is alright. I don't mind. It doesn't matter to me what I wear, but seeing as how you're the expert here on what is more acceptable here on this planet, I trust your judgment in the matter."

"You do?" Eiri turned and looked at Shuichi in slight shock at that statement.

"Of course! You have done nothing but help me during my stay here."

Eiri couldn't believe that this fragile soul would give trust so easily to someone. What if he had been simply pretending to be helpful in order to gain her trust?! Shuichi could have been in real trouble if someone else had found her.

A sudden protective feeling filled him. He found that he wanted to protect this naïve and innocent creature before him. Nodding more to himself than Shuichi he began his walk to the bathroom again. He entered and stopped at tub, waiting for Shuichi to join him. Once she did he began to explain the ins and outs of operating the bathtub, as well as the bathing aspect.

"Now once you get the water to the temperature you want, you need to take off your clothes and enter." Upon hearing this and seeing that the water was at the temperature that she wanted it at, she began to take the shirt she was wearing off…with Eiri still in the bathroom instructing her. When he heard no comment from Shuichi, Eiri turned...and began thinking every dirty thought imaginable upon the sight he was seeing. Shuichi was unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing!

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Eiri almost fell into the tub.

"What do you mean? I am undressing as you have instructed." Shuichi ceased unbuttoning the shirt upon seeing how frazzled Eiri was.

"Yeah, but why are you undressing with me still in the room! Your people do have such a thing as modesty right?!"

"I do not understand why you are so upset. It is only you."

Only him?! Eiri didn't know whether to feel insulted or flattered at what Shuichi had just said.

"Regardless if it's me or not, we are not so close as to undress in front of each other."

"We're not? I don't understand. You are male and I am part male, I have nothing you have never seen before."

"Don't you have female parts as well?" Eiri asked flatly in disbelief of what he was hearing.

"Only on my upper body. They are nothing remarkable though. The females on this planet seem to have extremely large upper proportions."

Eiri gave a slight smirk at that comment. Remembering what was happening though, he internally shook his head clear of those thoughts and refocused himself.

"Shuichi, as flattered as I am that you feel so close to me that you feel you can undress in front of me, I can't allow that. Now you can undress while I go and get some clothes for you. I'll leave them in the bedroom for you. Remember to close the shower door once you get in. I'll be waiting to leave in the living room." Eiri left swiftly before Shuichi could say anything.

Shuichi felt rather confused as to why Eiri had reacted that way, but remembering some of the things her mother had told her about mates she quickly realized her error. She felt rather ashamed that she'd forgotten and decided to apologize after she was dressed.

Showering was a very thrilling experience for Shuichi, however she decided apologizing to Eiri was more important at the moment. She could enjoy the new experience of showering another day. She quickly dressed in the fresh clothes Eiri provided and walked out into the living room. Eiri stood upon seeing her enter.

"Eiri, I apologize for the incident earlier. I didn't realize what I had done was inappropriate until I remembered what my mother had told me about mates."

"What did you mother say about…did you just say mates?" Eiri was very confused at what Shuichi had just said.

"Yes mates. My mother said that only mates or intended mates should see each other exposed. I forgot that. I'm sorry." Shuichi lowered her head in shame.

"So mates are basically like married people here. I see now. It's okay Shuichi, you didn't understand the situation." Eiri gave Shuichi a small reassuring smile.

"Married people?"

"Two people that wish to spend the rest of their lives together get married on this planet. Usually anyways. Not all people get married because they love each other." Eiri added that last part upon thinking about some of the arranged couples and gold diggers he'd met in his life.

"I do not understand. If they do not love each other then why would they marry?"

"Sometimes the families arrange it, other times for money. Or if the woman gets pregnant, she sometimes traps the male into marriage."

"That is awful! We do not have such things on my world." Shuichi looked disgusted at the thought.

"You don't?" Eiri was very surprised at this.

"No, either you find your intended and make them your life mate or you simply go through life without one. Though it is a very lonely life…" Shuichi looked down, very sad all of a sudden.

"That sounds… nice, except for the ones who don't find their life mate." Eiri found that he liked the thought of finding just the person for you and spending your entire with that person.

"Yes. Now where will we be going Eiri! I can not wait to see where I will be getting clothes just for me from!" Shuichi's sad expression perked up suddenly when she remembered the trip they would be taking.

"Ah yes. Let's get going." Eiri almost turned from Shuichi when he noticed an important detail he had over looked.

Shuichi didn't have shoes…

'How could I forget something like that?!' He berated himself mentally.

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Review to read about Shuichi and Eiri's shopping trip, among other things.

Recommended Song- Hide And Seek-Imogen Heap


	4. Shopping Was Never So Dangerous

**Paired With Neutrality**

**By: Angelwarrior1**

**Chapter 3: Shopping Was Never So Dangerous**

Deciding simply to carry Shuichi to the car, Eiri picked Shuichi up. Shuichi squealed upon being picked up so abruptly and they left the apartment. They found a shoe store and Eiri carried Shuichi inside bridal style, which brought about much attention from those around them.

Eiri wasn't paying attention to the bystanders watching them however. He was distracted by the feel of holding Shuichi in his arms. It felt… nice. Right. Setting her down on a bench, Eiri explained the situation to the sales clerk.

The woman quickly measured Shuichi's foot and found a comfortable pair of shoes for Shuichi to walk around in. They shopped for several pairs of shoes while they were there and left afterwards to put the bags in the car.

"Where are we going now?" Shuichi bounced a bit in excitement.

"The mall." Eiri said in distaste.

He hated the mall. The crowds, the brats running about, the damn teenagers. Buddha help him.

"Why do you look so unhappy about this mall place?" Shuichi watched in confusion at his irritated face.

"Because I hate the mall."

"Then we should not go to a place you are not fond of. Are there other places to get clothes just for me?" Shuichi put her index finger to her lips in a mimic of thought.

Eiri watched the slender finger touch those full lips and looked away quickly.

"Yes, there are other stores we can buy clothes for you from."

"Then let us go there!" Shuichi clapped her hands together in joy.

Eiri grunted in response and nodded his ascent.

It took twenty minutes but soon Eiri was pulling into the parking space on the side of the road in front of an expensive women's clothing store. His side was facing the road, so he didn't have to worry about Shuichi getting out while cars were heading down the street. They walked into the store and Eiri found himself explaining Shuichi's situation once more.

The woman "awwwed" at Shuichi's misfortune and Eiri grit his teeth at the annoying woman. Walking over to Shuichi, Eiri told her that the woman would be helping her find clothes that fit her properly. Shuichi simply nodded at him and looked at the woman blankly.

"Come miss. Let's find something to match those beautiful eyes of yours!" She grabbed onto Shuichi's arm, startling her, and dragged her to a clothing rack.

And so began a long few hours of waiting for Eiri. He pulled out a small notebook he carried around for emergencies of boredom such as this and began to jot out ideas for his current story. Shuichi was trying on the mountains of clothes she'd been pushed into the changing room with. It was taking awhile, though some of those clothes boggled even him on how one was supposed to put them on.

"Miss are you alright in there?"

"I don't believe this shirt is meant for me. It will not stay in place." Shuichi's muffled voice came from the changing room.

"Nonsense, let me help you." She entered the changing room once Shuichi unlocked it and silence reigned for several seconds until...

"You silly, suck in your stomach so I can lace this up. On the count of three you suck and I'll pull."

Eiri's eyebrow twitched upon hearing this. Just what was that obscene woman having Shuichi try on?

"One, two... three!" The sound of lace grinding against material filled the room followed by a loud expelling of air and squeal.

"What on-I can't breath!" Shuichi jolted from the room away from the woman she now deemed as evil while trying to breath properly.

Eiri watched in horror as Shuichi attempted to take a full breath of air, but found that she could only take shallow breaths without hurting herself. He jumped up when he saw the panic setting in and ran to help her undo the laces of her corset. Shuichi gasped in a huge breath of air when Eiri finally freed the last lace binding her from sweet oxygen.

'That psycho! What the hell was she thinking having Shuichi try on a fucking CORSET!!' Fury flew throughout Eiri's body and if it weren't for Shuichi's calming presence being there he would surely have had that woman's throat in a vice grip.

"Oh I'm terrible sorry. I didn't think she'd have such a reaction to the corset. It really does look lovely on her though. It matches her eyes perfectly-"

Eiri grit his teeth and tried to hold in the snarl that was about to come out at the woman's stupidity.

"-I only wanted to help find something that would look stun-"

"Enough! Your help is no longer needed. We will shop by ourselves from here on out."

"..Oh. Alright. Let me know if you need anything!" Her cheery facade came back full force and Eiri wondered what drugs she was on and where he could get some to achieve that kind of oblivious happiness.

Helping Shuichi, he led her around the store and tried to pick practical clothing for her to try on. It was hard not picking out things that he would have liked to see her in, like the black mini skirt and purple top that was too skimpy to be truly called a shirt.

He had amazing will power though, so was able to refrain from such perverted actions and picked cute button up shirts in colors that he thought may look nice on her.

Once Shuichi had an idea of how to shop for herself, he let her try picking out a few outfits. He found her tastes interesting as he found her looking at the same skimpy outfit he had been tempted to have her try on as well.

Shuichi went to try on the clothes and came out to show Eiri and get his opinion on whether she should buy it or not.

"Looks good. Give that to me when you're done changing to hold onto."

Shuichi nodded and was about to go back into the changing room when a very busty brunette came out of her dressing room wearing a halter top and mini skirt. She gawked and her mouth dropped as she looked at the woman's bust.

It was huge. She looked down at her own nearly non-existent breasts and poked one of them. She looked back at the woman's and scrambled back into the changing room when the woman looked her way. Eiri almost laughed out loud at the small one's antics. She was too cute for her own good.

It would make sense that she would be curious about Earth women's breasts. Even he found himself gawking at the shear size of some of them. He just hoped Shuichi didn't start to feel bad about her appearance, because of that woman.

He thought she was perfect just the way she was. It was only to be expected that she not have big breasts, given her nature. She was neither one or the other, truly androgynous in appearance. It would tip the balance if she had noticeable boobs. Just as it would tip the balance if she had overly masculine features. She was as neutral as Switzerland apparently.

That was just fine with him too. She was made that way and he personally enjoyed looking at her. His thoughts were interrupted when Shuichi came out in a nice dress they'd picked for a fancy occasion.

It was a deep purple that made her eyes stand out to the extreme. He had to look away from her eyes because they were about to trap him.

"That's fine. We'll buy that too." He took a deep breath when she went back into the changing room.

He hadn't expected her to look that beautiful in the dress he'd picked out for her. It was a bit shocking to see the transformation considering he'd seen her in only his white button up shirt and pants that floated on her very tiny form. What Eiri didn't know was that inside that dressing room Shuichi had an even bigger surprise for him.

Shuichi adjusted the mini skirt and skimpy top as she looked herself over in the mirror. She did look nice in this outfit. It sort of reminded her of her peoples clothing from her world.

They had very form fitting and revealing clothes there. They were all very comfortable with their bodies. She was the exception however, for she was not comfortable with her body at all.

At an early age people around her never really knew what to think of her or what to do with her. When she had been in school she couldn't use a boy or girl's bathroom. She had to use a private one, for the teachers didn't want her confusing the other students.

She was the only one of her kind on her planet and as such many didn't expect her to find what all of her kind must find around her age. The thought brought a swell of depression coursing through her.

What did her mother hope for her to accomplish here? There was no way she'd find what she was sent here for.

Shuichi took the outfit off and stared at it.

'You know what? I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm getting this outfit. I was never allowed to dress how I wanted to on my world because of my differences. Now I'm free from that and I'd be a fool not to take advantage of my brief reprieve.'

With her mind made up she tried on the next few outfits, showing them to Eiri for his approval. When she was done she slipped the skimpy outfit into the big pile she was carrying and left the small room. Eiri took the pile from her and they went to the cashier to check out.

Shuichi felt a bit guilty immediately upon the outfit's purchase, but she wanted it to be a surprise to show him at a later time. She really hoped he wouldn't be mad at her for her deceit. She truly meant no harm in it.

"Thank you very much for buying so many wonderful items for me today Eiri."

"No need to thank me. I can't have you running around in my clothes all day or naked either." Eiri hated being thanked, it embarrassed the shit out of him for some reason.

Already he could feel his face heating up from Shuichi's words of gratitude.

"Oh but I can still feel grateful for you helping me to begin with. You certainly didn't have to." Shuichi hugged Eiri by the arm suddenly, causing him to tense in surprise.

He relaxed when he looked down and saw Shuichi cuddling her head of luxurious magenta hair against his green sleeved arm. She looked up at him and smiled as she finally let go of his arm. He reluctantly admitted to himself that he wouldn't mind being hugged by Shuichi again.

Eiri had always refrained from being touched by others. He was naturally a wary person and trust was hard for him to give. Shuichi didn't inspire any of the mistrust he usually had for someone, which was very odd.

He tried to figure out why he gave so much trust to a person he'd just met, but the only answer he could come up with was the fact that Shuichi wasn't human. It just had to be because Shuichi was this innocent being from another world.

Shuichi was someone Eiri had never encountered before. Not only had she come with him almost immediately upon his offer, but she didn't hold any malice in her at all from what he could figure out about her.

She just had this calming aura around her, that made any anger slip from his mind. It felt something similar to basking in the moon light. It was tranquil, calm and cool. Something he'd never felt in his life.

Eiri's life had always been a hectic one. Being an only child, Eiri had a lot to work for. He'd always wanted his parents to be proud of him. When his mother died in his early childhood however, he felt that he'd never achieve such a goal.

His father changed upon his mother's death and no matter how hard he worked it just wasn't enough anymore. So he stopped trying. He gave up on earning love.

From then on he worked only to achieve his own means, no one else's. He got the grades he wanted, all A's of course, and he didn't take shit from anyone. In his mid-teens he'd begun his trip of promiscuity and continued all the way until a month before Shuichi had shown up.

During the month before Shuichi had arrived he'd slipped into a deep depression. He felt that his life was going around in a circle and that it didn't hold a true purpose to it.

Was it coincidence that Shuichi appeared when she did then? Or was she there for a reason? Was she with him for a reason?

He really didn't know.

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Review for more my friends!

Recommended Song- Headlock-Imogen Heap


	5. Getting Closer

**Paired With Neutrality **

**By: Angelwarrior1 **

**Chapter 4:** **Getting Closer**

The romance novelist and his other worldly companion had begun to grow closer as the weeks went on. They had become very comfortable with each others presence and Shuichi could now touch Eiri freely without seeing him tense like some caged creature about to lash out at its captor.

Eiri had grown to welcome Shuichi's touch and actually seemed to crave it now more than his cigarettes. While the two may be extremely relaxed in each others presence, there was nothing other than good friendship between them.

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"Shuichi"

"Yes Eiri?" Shuichi looked away from the television set upon hearing her name.

Eiri walked out of his office where he spent much of his time typing his novels. Shuichi knew not to disturb Eiri when his office door was closed. He became even more cranky than usual when interrupted.

"I have a book signing to attend in a couple of days. Would you like to come? It'll be a chance to get out of the apartment for a while." Eiri sat down next to Shuichi and placed his arm up on the couch behind Shuichi's head.

"Oh really?! I will get to see everyone who reads your books there?"

"Yeah some of my fans will be there. Unfortunately." Eiri muttered.

He hated most of his fans. They were like ravenous packs of wild animals just waiting to strike and kidnap him at the first chance.

"You do not sound very enthusiastic Eiri. Do you not like your fans?" Shuichi turned into Eiri, her knee touching Eiri's thigh just above his knee.

"Some of them are okay. Most are...too over enthused about meeting me. They can get out of control quickly."

"Oh, I see. I am still very excited to see you interacting with people who enjoy your writings." Shuichi smiled at Eiri, who couldn't help smiling back.

"I hope it'll be as exciting for you as you make it out to be for me." Eiri raised the hand that was behind Shuichi's head and softly combed his fingers through Shuichi's hair.

Shuichi's eyes closed at the tender caress. It felt so nice to have Eiri's fingers gently rubbing her scalp. She was brought back to herself when his hand left her hair.

"I'd better get back to work." Eiri rose from the couch and started back to his office.

"Okay..." Shuichi said quietly as she watched him go.

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Eiri was typing at his laptop. He was immersed in his own little world at the moment. When the shrill scream came he jumped and ran out of the room as fast as he could.

"Shuichi! Are you-" Eiri ran into the living room, expecting to find Shuichi hurt.

Instead he found Shuichi standing in front of his stereo system staring in awe at the contraption that was playing music.

"Eiri! What is that?" Shuichi ran over to him and hugged his left arm.

The spooked author breathed a sigh of relief and launched into an explanation about the stereo and the concept of music. Soon Shuichi knew how to work the stereo system and after promising Eiri that she'd keep the noise level down, the author returned to his work.

Eiri went back into his state of intense concentration over his work and hours flew by. When he finally stopped for the day six hours had passed. He decided it was time he checked on Shuichi.

What he found when he entered the living room was even more shocking than before.

Shuichi was singing along with the radio. And she sounded _really _good. She was singing To Love Somebody by Janis Joplin.

He leaned against the doorframe and watched as Shuichi not only sang but swayed and rocked with the song's sultry beat. He found his eyes following the gentle and steady sway of her hips and shoulders as she sang in tune with the words.

He could watch her dance and sing all day. Sadly, luck was not with him. Shuichi turned in her dancing and opened her eyes. And promptly squealed in surprise at having an audience. An audience that was giving her a really weird look.

Why was he looking at her like that? Was she doing it wrong? She didn't know how the people of this planet expressed themselves through body movement, but in her culture things were definitely free and sensual.

It was all about expressing everything that you felt. There was even a pre-mating ritual based on dancing. A huge festival would gather in the couple's honor and everyone would just spend the evening dancing to their heart's content.

Maybe the resident's of Earth didn't dance that way.

"Am I not doing it right?" Shuichi walked up to him nervously.

"What?" Eiri snapped out of the lustful haze he was in and focused on what Shuichi was saying.

"Am I not expressing myself through the movement of my body correctly?" She looked at him with worried eyes.

'No, you're expressing yourself just fine through the movement of _your_ body.' Eiri thought, though obviously didn't say.

"No you dancing's fine. In fact it looks just like the kind of dancing many people on this planet do. Though there are many styles of dancing here and that's just one kind."

"Really what other kinds are there?" Shuichi's face got that curious, yet studious look she always adopted when learning something new.

He found it cute.

"Oh, there are many kinds one can do on their own, but there are also many kinds two people can do together."

"Like what?"

"Well, there are more practiced ones that you have to learn steps and moves for. The tango for instance, or the fox trot. Those are two examples of dances you have to learn before you can do. Slow dancing is something any couple can do. It's easy to learn."

"Oh! Can you show me?! Please!" Shuichi bounced a bit and gave Eiri a pleading look.

"Ok ok, calm down." Eiri went to the stereo and searched for an appropriate song.

He stopped on a song that sounded good enough.

"Come here." He instructed.

Shuichi rushed to him and waited for the next instruction.

"Now put you right hand here on my shoulder and give me your left. Now just move your feet like mine, following the beat. Don't look down now, look up at me. There you go..." Eiri trailed off when her eyes met his.

Shuichi's eyes always had such a heavy effect on him. They were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. He couldn't get enough of seeing them.

Slowly the two drew closer together as the song progressed. Soon Shuichi's arms were wound around his neck and his arms were wrapped around her waist. Their noses were almost touching-

The song ended and a loud and fast paced song came on in the previous ones place. The two jumped and unwound themselves from each other.

"Well, um, thank you for that. For teaching me how to dance like that. It was nice."

"No problem." Eiri cleared his throat and swallowed, his throat was suddenly dry.

He went into the kitchen and got a drink, then promptly went back into his office. He locked the door.

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Shuichi was worried. What was she doing? She was supposed to be searching for her intended mate, not spending all of her free time with the nice Earthling male who was helping her. He was so nice to her though and he took care of her. And he taught her things and treated her well.

She was feeling things for him. Now she felt like she was cheating on the intended mate she didn't even know yet.

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Eiri was worried. What was he doing? He was supposed to be helping Shuichi search for whatever it was she was searching for. Shuichi hadn't exactly clarified on that part yet. Instead what was he doing? Spending all of his damn time with her, that's what. She was so sweet though.

Shuichi was so beautiful and genuine. She had innocence and grace and this calming aura that just put him at such ease. He could go on listing the things he liked about her. It wasn't right though! He shouldn't be getting so attached to her already! They hardly even knew each other!

For him to be feeling these things- and he didn't know how long she'd be staying either. He could wake up one morning to find her gone. Forever. He had to know _exactly _what she was looking for.

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Eiri exited his office and went to find Shuichi. He found the door to her room closed, so he knocked on the door. Shuichi opened it and looked up expectantly at him.

"I need to talk to you about something. If we could go into the living room?"

"Of course Eiri." Shuichi followed Eiri and sat down next to him on the couch.

They found themselves in the same position that was quickly becoming tradition for them. Eiri's arm was lain across the back of the couch behind Shuichi's head and Shuichi was turned into Eiri with her knee touching his lower thigh.

"What would you like to talk about Eiri?" Shuichi turned wondering eyes towards his.

"I want to know what you're searching for exactly. You haven't said and if I'm going to help you then I need to know."

"Oh that. I guess you have earned the right to know. As you know our people have mates. You either find yours or you don't. All Zilaens must search for their mate when they come of age. Not all Zilaen's mate reside on Zila though. Some intended mates live on other planets. Planets that have residents that are compatible enough for our people to mate successfully with in order to create offspring."

"And Earth is obviously one of them."

"Yes. In fact Earth's inhabitants are some of the most compatible by far. I am an oddity on my planet. None of my people expect me to be one who has an intended mate. Only my mother believes I have one and it is because of her that I am here now. No one else encouraged me to go on the search for my intended."

"Not even you father?" Eiri was surprised to hear what Shuichi's people thought of her.

How could they look down on someone as wonderful as Shuichi? As far as he was concerned Shuichi was the best the planet Zila had to offer. Her and her mother. Her mother obviously loved Shuichi greatly to encourage her to search so far from home.

"So how are you supposed to find your intended mate?"

"I'm afraid I can not tell you. My people's mating rituals are sacred. I will know. There will be signs. Once I know for certain who my intended is, I must tell them so they can decide what they want to do. If they accept then we will proceed from there with more of the ritual."

"And if they don't?" Eiri asked softly, dreading the answer.

"Then I will return home. Alive physically, dead spiritually. A Zila loses all of their gifts if they do not find their mate. They will be as an Earthling basically, except they will feel the emptiness inside of them. Many times weaker Zilaens who couldn't find their mate commit suicide. It is a very big deal not to find one's mate."

"Yeah, that sounds like a terrible way to live." Eiri had more questions, but he didn't have the heart to ask.

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Shuichi bounced in her chair as she watched Eiri sign his books for the numerous fans that surrounded him. She couldn't believe how many Earthling females were here! And many of these females were very shapely. Some had huge boobs, but others had a huge rear end too! It made Shuichi start to feel plain and unattractive. And like a stick with limbs.

While Shuichi watched the proceedings occur another set of dark eyes was watching Shuichi.

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She was so small and dainty. Beautiful magenta colored hair that looked so soft. He bet it was like touching silk or satin. Nice slender legs, tiny feet and hands. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew they were just as gorgeous as the rest of her. In short she was perfect.

He wanted her.

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So now our couple is getting closer, but who is this mystery person watching our Shuichi? Review to find out.

Today's recommended song is also the song Shuichi and Eiri danced to. It's called Prototype by Andre 3000.


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